Battle of the Obama bashes: Which star-studded Chicago party won the weekend?

Chicago has hosted its share of celebrity-filled evenings, but the opening celebrations for the Obama Presidential Center may have set a new gold standard.

On consecutive nights, the city's power brokers rolled out the red carpet for two invitation-only gatherings that attracted an astonishing mix of Hollywood royalty, music legends, sports icons, business leaders and political heavyweights. The only question lingering afterward was the one everyone seemed to be asking: Which party was the hottest ticket in town?

The festivities began June 17 when Governor JB Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker welcomed an elite guest list to Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse. The iconic restaurant transformed into a who's who of politics, entertainment and philanthropy, with guests reportedly rubbing elbows over steaks and martinis as anticipation built for the Obama Presidential Center opening the following day. (Read this party's details here)

If those walls could talk, they'd have quite a story to tell.

But the following evening raised the bar even higher!

On June 18, Marc Brooks, CEO of Hyde Park Hospitality, joined Martin Nesbitt, Chairman of the Obama Foundation Board, to host an exclusive celebration simply known as "The Party" at Adalina Prime (360 N. Green St.). And exclusive meant exclusive.

Guests were instructed to leave their phones behind. There was no advance publicity, no public guest list and no social media breadcrumbs. Chic attire was required, cameras were limited and the evening stretched well into the night.

Brooks later reflected on the significance of the evening. "All my years of doing parties, opening restaurants and creating memorable spaces for people, came down to this night where the stakes were at their highest point."

He also credited Mike Strautmanis, Nesbitt, Dana Loatman and Valerie Jarrett for green-lighting the event, along with an impressive host committee, Steve McKeever, Mike James, Parrish Photography, Faison Consulting and MoeFitz.  

Then came the guest list.

Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Dave Chappelle, Christina Aguilera,  David Letterman,  Stevie Wonder,  Shonda Rhimes,  Emme Grede,  Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, Isiah Thomas, Common, Stephen Colbert, Eddie Vedder, Conan O'Brien, Katt Williams, Candace Parker, Michelle Williams, Tina Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and, of course, former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama and many others.

If that wasn't enough star power, D-Nice and DJ Jazzy Jeff kept the energy high well into the evening, creating a celebration that felt more like an intimate after-party for the Academy Awards.

While the Pritzkers' dinner offered timeless Chicago hospitality in one of the city's most legendary restaurants, Brooks and Nesbitt delivered a surprise-filled, ultra-private celebration where virtually every guest was an A-lister.

So who won the weekend? Fortunately for Chicago, everyone did. For two remarkable nights, the city became the center of the cultural universe, proving once again that when Chicago hosts, the world shows up.

(Parrish Lewis Photography)